Construction for extruded reglets



y 1967 E. T. BERG CONSTRUCTION FUR EXTRUDED REGLETS Filed Sept. 8, 1964INVENTOR. EDWARD T. BERG United States Patent Cfilice 3,319,384 PatentedMay 16, 1967 3,319,384 CONSTRUCTION FOR EXTRUDED REGLETS Edward T. Berg,187 Fremoent St., San Francisco, Calif. 94105 Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser.No. 394,857 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-100) The present invention relates to themetal channels known as reglets" which are employed to support metalstructures, such as flashings and window frames, in a seepage-tightmanner from Walls, parapets or roofs.

When constructing a concrete wall, a mold or form is usually set upwhich comprises two transversely spaced walls that are made of woodenboards and which define the sides of the concrete wall to beconstructed. Before concrete is poured into the space between the woodenwalls, the reglets are secured in their appropriate positions to theform boards in such a manner that their openings are closed off by saidboards. For this purpose the reglets are usually provided with flatlips, and said lips are held against the inner surfaces of the woodenboards, and nails are driven through the lips into said boards.Thereafter, the concrete is poured into the space between the walls ofthe mold. Previously, no matter when how tight the reglets-Were nailedagainst the boards, cement would invariably seep past the edges of thereglet opening and fill the interior of thereglets, or if the regletshad previously been filled with a moisture-excluding compound, wouldform crusts over the reglet openings; and after removal of the boards,upon completion of the concrete wall, the concrete crusts and/ or theconcrete deposits in the interior of the reglet had to be removed byspecial cumbersome and costly operations before flashings could beinstalled into the reglets.

It is an object of the invention'to provide a reglet construction thatmay easily be secured so tightly to the form boards that concrete is notlikely to seep past the edges of its mouth and fill its interior orformcrusts over its mouth.

It is another object of the invention to provide a reglet constructionthat keeps the interior of its channel free from the influx of concreteduring the construction of a wall, and which may be produced by a singleextrusion operation and is ready for attachment to a form wall withoutpreparatory steps, such as filling its interior with moisture-excludingcompounds or applying a special tape over its opening.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a reglet which,though it may be made of plastic material, resists deformation andmaintains its flashing-receiving opening at the proper size and inproper condition when the concrete is poured and afterward when the formboards are removed from the embedded reglet.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a regletconstruction that inhibits the seepage of moisture along the intersticesbetween its outer surfaces and the concrete into the interior of thewall.

These and other objects of may invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section through a reglet embodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-section through the mold for a concretewall, with the reglet of the invention attached in its proper positionto a Wall of the mold;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective, partly in section, of thecompleted wall, with the reglet of the invention embedded therein; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-section through the wall and the regletwith a flashing engaged in the reglet. In accordance with the inventionI provide the mouth of the reglet channel with an integral closure stripthat is produced by the same extrusion operation as the reglet itself,and which prevents seepage of concrete into the interior of regletchannel during construction of the wall; and I provide grooves along thelongitudinal edges of the closure strip so that the strip may readily beremoved by unskilled labor upon completion of the wall when there is nolonger any danger that concrete may seep into its interior. In addition,for attachment to the form boards, I provide one of the channel flangesof the reglet with a lip which is of arched conformation, with itsconcave side facing the form board and with its far end edge so locatedthat the junction area between the lip and the flange from which itdepends, is initially withdrawn from the plane defined by said end edgeand the free end edge of the other flange. In this manner. when securingthe lip in its proper position to the form boards by means of nailsdriven through said lip at a level above the free end edge thereof tosuch a degree that the arched lip is flattened out, the free end edge ofthe other channel flange and the free end edge of the lip are urged sotightly against the form boards that there is no danger that concretemay seep past said edges into the space opposite the channel mouth andform crusts over the closure strip of the reglet channel or over theconcave surface of the lip. The integral closure strip provides theadded advantage of maintaining the flexible flanges of the regletchannel in their proper position in spite of the pressure exertedagainst them by the poured concrete, which might otherwise bring themcloser to each other and might make insertion of a flashing difficult.Furthermore, I provide the reglet channel in the region of its bightportion and along the free end edge of its lip with anchoring membersthat retain the reglet dependably in the finished wall and pro- ;tect itfrom being torn loose or deformed as the form boards are pulled awayfrom the wall upon completion of the wall.

Having first reference to FIGURE 1, the reglet of my invention comprisesa channel portion 10 having an upper flange 12 and a lower flange 14,and a bracket portion, for attachment to the form wall, which is formedby a lip 16 that depends from the end of the lower flange 14. At oneside the upper and lower flanges 12 and 14 are connected by a bightportion 18, and on the opposite side they are arranged to form anopening or mouth 20 for the reception of a flashing or window frame asthe case may be (FIGURES 3 and 4).

The present invention relates primarily to reglets which are made byextrusion processes and which consist of either extruded metals orplastics; and according to the invention the mouth of the reglet channelis initially closed by a wall or closure strip 22 which is produced asan integral part of the reglet channel by the same extrusion operationas the reglet. As shown in both, FIG- URES l and 2, said closure stripis defined against the ends of the upper and lower flanges by grooves 24and 26, respectively, of wedge-shaped cross section to facilitateremoval of the strip upon completion of the wall after the strip hasserved its purpose.

The outer end of the upper flange 12 increases in thickness as shown at28 and presents to the outside a frontal surface 30 that commences witha sharp forwardly projected upper edge 32 and recedes rearwardly fromsaid edge. The lip 16 is of arched conformation and arranged to presentits concave surface 34 to the form boards 36 to which it is to benailed, and the arrangement is such that the upper end 38 of the concavesurface 34 where the lip joins the outer end of the lower channel flange14 is withdrawn a limited distance from the plane defined by theforwardly projected edge 32 of the upper flange 12 and the bottom edge40 said concave surface 34.

When a reglet is placed against the inner surface of the form boards 36in the position shown in FIGURE 2, and headed nails 46 are driventhrough the lip into the form boards to such an extent that the junctureline 38 between flange 14 and lip 16 touches the form boards, theforwardly projected edge 32 at the outer end of the upper channel flange12 and the lower edge of the initially concave surface 34 are pressed sotightly against the form board that concrete is not likely to seep pastthese edges into space between the form boards and the adjacent surfacesof the reglet. Formerly, when the lip for attaching the reg-let to theWall boards was flat, the end edge of the upper channel flange and thebottom edge of the lip tended to yield away from the form boards whenthe lip was nailed to the boards, and thus allowed concrete to seepacross the front edges of the channel flanges and into the interior ofthe reglet'channel.

With the reglet secured to the form boards 36 in the described manner,concrete may now be poured into the form around the reglet withoutdanger that it may seep into and fill the interior of the reglet channeldue to the presence of the closure strip 22, and the cement iseffectively prevented from seeping into the space in front of theclosure strip 22 and the concave surface of the lip by the tightengagement of the edges 32 and 40 with the form boards, that is effectedby the deformation of the initially arcuate lip 16; moreover thepresence of the closure strip 22 supports the ends of the channelflanges against the pressure of the. concrete and thus preventsdeformation of the reglet channel and maintains its mouth 20 at itsproper size and in its proper shape for the reception of a flashing.

When the wall form is disassembled after the concrete in the form hashardened, the wall boards 36 are pulled from the nails 46 and away fromthe reglet which remains embedded in the newly formed wall. Thisoperation introduces the danger that the reglet, or a part thereof, maybe torn loose from the wall. In accordance with the invention, thereglet is therefore provided with members that anchor it'securely in thenewly formed wall. Having reference to the drawings, the "bottom end oflip 16 is turned rearwardly to form a U-shaped channel structure 48 onthe side of its convex surface 42, and the upper flange 12 of the regletchannel carries above its bight portion 18 an upwardly directed ridge 50that terminates with an end portion 52 which is tilted forwardly in thedirection of the channel mouth 22. With the described anchoringstructures embedded in the hardened cement, it is impossible to tear thereglet from the newly formed wall when the form boards are dismantled.The anchoring member 50/52 along the rear portion of the reglet channelprovides the added advantage of acting as a water lock that limits capilary seepage of Wind-driven moisture into the space between the upperflange 12 of the reglet channel 10 and the layer of concrete above saidflange. Thus, moisture cannot reach the interior of the concrete Wallrearwardly of the reglet.

After the Wall form has been dismantled, the closure strip 22 of thereg-let is fully exposed without concrete encrustations, and the workmansimply grips one end edge 54 of said strip and peels it from the reglet,as shown in FIGURE 3. The mouth 22 of the reglet is now open and readyfor the reception of a flashing 56, without need to remove concretedeposits from the interior of the reglet in costly, cumbersome andtime-consuming operations. Moreover, the mouth has its intended sizeeven though the reglet may be made of a flexible plastic, because thepresence of the closure strip prevented buckling of the channel flangesunder the pressure of the concrete poured against them; and uponhardening of the concrete, the flanges of the reglet channel depend nolonger upon the support provided by the closure strip for maintainingtheir position. The flashing 56 may now readily be engaged into thereglet as shown in FIGURE 4.

The reglet of the invention is simple to manufacture. It requires but asingle extrusion operation. It is immediately ready for installation. Itis unnecesary to fill it first with a cement-excluding filler compoundor to seal its mouth with a tape in special preparatory operations. Whenits lip 16 is nailed to the form boards 36, the uppermost edge 32 of thereglet channel and the lowermost edge 40 of the reglet bracket engagethe form boards so tightly that there is little danger that the pouredconcrete rnay seep past said edges and form encrustations over theclosure strip 22 and along the concave surface of the lip 16.

During the pouring of the concrete, the closure strip 22 supports thechannel flanges 12 and 14 and thus preserves the shape and width of thechannel mouth 20. As the wall form is dismantled, the anchoring member50/52 in the region of the bight portion 18 of the reglet channel andthe anchoring member 48 along the bottom edge of the lip 16 hold thereglet securely in its embedded position within the newly formed wall.After the wall form has been dismantled, it is a simple matter for anyunskilled workman tocondition the reglet for immediate use. He merelypeels the closure strip 22 from the mouth of the reglet along thegrooves 24 and 26. There are no cement incrustations over the closurestrip and the mouth of the reglet channel to hinder his work. There areno cement deposits within the reglet channel that would have to becleared out by cumbersome and time-consuming opeartions before thereglet can be used. The reglet is immediately ready to receive and holda flashing; and for extended periods of time to come, the anchoringelements 50/52 prevent wind-driven moisture from reaching, andweakening, the interior of the concrete wall behind the reglet channel.

While I have described my invention with the aid of an exemplaryembodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the specific constructional details shown and described byway of example, which may be departed from without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An extruded reglet comprising a bracket portion for attachment to aform wall, and unitary therewith a longitudinally extending channelportion for the reception of a flashing, said channel portion havingrelatively spaced flanges, a bight portion connectingsaid flanges on theside thereof opposite to the side whereat the flashing is to bereceived, and continuous with said flanges on the last mentioned side astrip arranged to close said last mentioned side during construction ofthe wall whereby said strip excludes fluid material from the interior ofthe channel portion during the pouring of the concrete, said striphaving spaced longitudinally extending grooves approximately adjacentthe flanges whereby said strip is readily separable after pouring of theconcrete, by tearing along said grooves.

2. A reglet of extruded material comprising a channel for the receptionof a flashing having an upper flange possessing a free outer end edgeand spaced therefrom a lower flange, a bight portion connecting saidflanges on the side opposite to the side Whereat the flashing is to bereceived, integral with said flanges on said last mentioned side a striparranged to close the mouth of the flashing during construction of thewall and being defined against said flanges by longitudinally extendinggrooves to facilitate removal of the strip upon completion of the Wall;depending from said lower flange a lip for attachment of the reglet to aform wall, said lip being of arched conformation with its concave sidefacing in the same direction as the mouth of said channel and thejunction area of said second flange and said lip being withdrawn fromthe plane defined by the free edge of said first flange and the bottomend of said lip, and means for anchoring the reglet in a wall includinga longitudinal ridge projecting outwardly from said upper channel flangeimmediately above said bight portion, and terminating in an end portiontilted toward the channel mouth, and a U-shaped channel formed 1 by thebottom end of said lip on the convex side thereof.

FRANK L.

5 RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examiner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1917 Hunter52-61 3/1937 Boettner 5299 11/1939 Reiland 52-710 1/1951 Fry 5Z61 4/1966Eriksson 5260 X 6/1966 Weckerly et a1 5258 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1963France.

ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN EXTRUDED REGLET COMPRISING A BRACKET PORTION FOR ATTACHMENT TO AFORM WALL, AND UNITARY THEREWITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CHANNELPORTION FOR THE RECEPTION OF A FLASHING, SAID CHANNEL PORTION HAVINGRELATIVELY SPACED FLANGES, A BIGHT PORTION CONNECTING SAID FLANGES ONTHE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE TO THE SIDE WHEREAT THE FLASHING IS TO BERECEIVED, AND CONTINUOUS WITH SAID FLANGES ON THE LAST MEMTIONED SIDE ASTRIP ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID LAST MENTIONED SIDE DURING CONSTRUCTION OFTHE WALL WHEREBY SAID STRIP EXCLUDES FLUID MATERIAL FROM THE INTERIOR OFTHE CHANNEL PORTION DURING THE POURING OF THE CONCRETE, SAID STRIPHAVING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVES APPROXIMATELY ADJACENTTHE FLANGES WHEREBY SAID STRIP IS READILY SEPARABLE AFTER POURING OF THECONCRETE, BY TEARING ALONG SAID GROOVES.